Exotic animals including tigers, lions, crocodiles and pumas were kept in a mini zoo and were said to be used to repel government forces.
wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, moments after the raid on Wednesday:"I congratulate the more than 11,000 members of the FANB [National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela] and police forces for the successful intervention of the Tocoron Penitentiary Center.Pictures posted online by the Venezuelan government showed heavily armed forces bursting into the gates before putting the prisoners in handcuffs.
Wild animals including tigers, lions, crocodiles, pumas, flamingos and an ostrich were kept in a mini zoo.Buckets full of bullets, scores of missiles, grenades, riles, explosives and motorbikes were all found in the gangsters' armoury. The gang's reach is said to stretch across six Venezuelan states as well as neighbouring countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Chile.
Its leader, Héctor Guerrero Flores, who was imprisoned for murder and drug trafficking, was so powerful he reportedly used to come and go from the jail as he pleased.